There’s a new member of the mandrill family at Disney!
The Animal Kingdom park at Orlando’s Walt Disney World announced Wednesday that a mandrill infant was born to first-time father, Linus, and mother, Scarlett on July 25. The new animal has yet to be named.
The vice president for animals, science and environment at Disney Parks, Mark Penning, wrote that the park welcomed a "colorful" new addition, referring to the fact that mandrills are known for being the most colorful species of all monkeys.
"Mom and baby are doing well and spending lots of time bonding," Penning wrote in the Wednesday blog post. "In fact, their bond is so close that at the baby’s neonatal exam, our veterinary team wasn’t able to determine if the baby is a boy or a girl just yet, because mom is keeping the infant so close to her belly."
The birth comes just weeks after Disney World reopened to visitors following the theme park’s March closure at the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Visitors may even be able to catch a glimpse of the new arrival on Animal Kingdom's Kilimanjaro Safari.
"Scarlett and baby have already begun making short appearances in their habitat on the Kilimanjaro Safari, joining the other members of their mandrill troop," Penning shared.
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The mandrill addition is part of Disney’s work with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) on Species Survival Plans (SSPs) to help conserve and protect different endangered species.
Mandrills are classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, due to deforestation and poaching in their rainforest habitats in Nigeria, Southern Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Congo.
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